| Abstrakt: |
Najaf city, Iraq currently has no integrated solar power plant to produce electricity, so we seek in this work to design a small, inexpensive solar power plant equipped with cleaning and tracking systems to produce electricity for individual residences. We first review the currently available dual-axis solar tracking systems and simulate the same. A dual-axis solar tracking system increases the output energy of solar panels by tracking the sunlight with the photovoltaic panels. Combining this with a cleaning arm that further increases the output of the solar panels by keeping their surface free of dirt and environmental waste. In the present work, we simulate the proposed system using MATLAB and SolidWorks software and study the weather conditions of Najaf in Iraq, including sunlight intensity, temperature, wind speed, and cloud density. Based on the simulation results and field tests during 2019 and 2020, we conclude that the solar panels tracking is sufficiently stable throughout the year since the cloud density is moderate in Najaf, so the angle of incidence of the sunlight is stable. These results indicate that the use of the Open Loop Sun-tracking system, as opposed to the Closed Loop model, is appropriate for Najaf because the system is less complex and less costly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
